Beating Zoom Fatigue

Probably by now it is safe to say, we’re all getting “Zoomed out.” So in the spirit of last week’s blurb, here are eight quick and simple ideas for beating Zoom fatigue.

1. Make at least one day a week a “Zoom-free” zone. You say you are already taking one day off? Look to the second tip.
2. Set up time blocks (every day) that are Zoom free. Take a walk instead. Play with your dog. Do yoga. BUT set time aside daily that are completely off limits for virtual interfacing.
3. Meetings. Shorter. Everysingleone. One of our conscious goals when virtually meeting is to be efficient and engaged. This is good for our own personal wellbeing as well as our colleagues. By being mindful of the time we spend on Zoom, we can try to cut down how much we actually need to spend on virtual interfacing.
4. Say no. It seems these days there is a video call for almost everything. And in so many ways, these are great opportunities. The trouble is, we often feel we have to be at everything all at once. So, learn to say no to less valuable Zooming.
5. Take breaks during longer meetings or between virtual meetings. Some people spend 12 hours a day at their kitchen table with very little movement. Let’s mix it up and get some steps in around the house (or neighborhood).
6. Minimize multitasking. We have become very accustomed to attending virtual meetings and doing about ten other things at once. While it may sound counterintuitive, stopping the multitasking may actually Remembering to stay engaged and present helps us focus better and to pay closer attention to the event at hand.
7. Change your location. If you’re one of those folks who ends up spending 12 hours a day at your kitchen table, mix it up a bit. Take your laptop to another room in the house. Take it outside to the patio. The change of scenery may be a refreshing transition.
8. Switch up your views. For some meetings, keep gallery on, others simply focus on the speaker. Turn your video off when appropriate. By switching up the views for different meetings/events can provide different dimensions to otherwise very similar meetings.

Please feel free to share additional ideas you found helpful. Happy (less) Zooming.

Kristina Bilowus

Michigan State University College of Law

East Lansing